1. Field
The present invention relates generally to table tennis paddles, and, in particular, to table tennis paddles for use with a penhold grip.
2. Description of the Problem and Related Art
Design for conventional table tennis paddles has advanced very little. Essentially, the paddle is a diminished tennis racquet comprising a handle and a blade. Likewise, many players employ the same “handshake” grip that is used with a tennis racquet with the handle resting the palm of the hand and the blade extending from the thumbward side of the hand. Some playersemploy a penhold grip where the handle is held between the thumb and forefinger and supported by the “V” formed therebetween, and the blade of the paddle extends from between the tips of the fingers, in the way a pen point is held. See, e.g., FIGS. 6 & 7.
Not a recent innovation, the penhold grip requires a great amount of skill to play effectively, however, because it requires great control to exert spin on a table tennis ball. The traditional penhold grip employs only one side of the blade for both forehand and backhand shots; however, over the last decade highly skilled penhold style players have begun using the opposite blade surface to strike the ball in what is referred to as a “reverse penhold backhand” which requires even greater control than the traditional penhold style. Provided herein is a design for a table tennis paddle which enables greater control when using a either a traditional or penhold or a reverse penhold backhand grip.